My Favourite Easy Vegan Recipes to Try Right Now (uk Edition)

I'll be honest — when I first started exploring vegan cooking, I thought it was going to be complicated, expensive, and honestly a bit bland. I was so wrong. Over the past couple of years, I've fallen in love with plant-based cooking, and the UK has an incredible range of ingredients that make it so much easier than people think. Whether you're fully vegan, flexitarian, or just trying to cut back on meat, these recipes are genuinely delicious and straightforward enough for a weeknight dinner. Let me share two of my absolute go-to dishes I keep coming back to again and again.

Vegan Spicy Sausage Bake

This is the kind of dish that silences every person who saysegan food isn't satisfying. The plant-based sausages get this gorgeous caramelised edge the oven, and the spices bring a real warmth that makes it perfect for those grey UK evenings. I make this on a Sunday and honestly look forward to the leftovers all week. It's hearty, it's filling, and it takes barely any effort to throw together.

• 4egan sausages (I love the Heck or Richmond plant-based ones)
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• 1 pepper, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
sp chilli flakes (adjust to your heat preference)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley to garnish

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan) or Gas Mark 6.
2. Toss the sliced peppers and red onion wedges in a large roray with olive oil, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Nestle the vegan sausages in among the vegetables so everything is single layer.Roast in the oven for 25–30 minutes, turning everything halfway through, until the sausages are browned and the vegetables are tender and slightly caramelised.
4. Remove from the oven, scatter over fresh parsley, and serve straight from the t crusty bread or fluffy mashed potatoes.

Easy Vegan Chilli

A big pot of vegan chilli is something I genuinely make almost every other week. It's one of those meals that gets better the next day, freezes brilliantly, and costs very little to make — which is always a bonus. The combination of kidney beans, lentils, and smoky spices creates this thick, deeply flavoured base that feels indulgent without any of the heaviness. Pile it on rice scoop it up with tortilla chips, or stuff it into a baked potato — you really can't go wrong.

• can kidney beans, drained and rinsed1 can chopped tomatoes
• 150g red lentils, rinsed
• 1 large onion, finely d>3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 2
• Salt and pepper to taste
coriander and sliced chilli to serve

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5–6 minutes until softened and translucent.
2. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Let spices toast for about 30 seconds, stirring constantlyAdd the tomato purée and stir it through, then pour in the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, and red lentils. Give a good mixBring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have broken down and thickened the sauce.
3. Add the kidney beans and cook for a further 10 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.Serve hot with riceaked potatoes, topped with fresh coriander and sliced chilli for an extra kick.

These two recipes are proof that vegan cooking doesn't have to be complicated to be really really good. They're the kind of meals I'd happily cook for friends who aren't even vegan — and they always come back seconds. Give them a try and let me know which one becomes your new weeknight staple.